The present invention relates to an improved art of vehicle part mounting structures for parts such as door lock strikers to vehicle bodies.
For parts to vehicle bodies, a mounting structure for door lock strikers or the like involving position adjustment during assembly is known (e.g., see JP-A-2001-152712).
This door lock striker mounting structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B.
Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the mounting structure includes a body panel 105 and a reinforcing plate 101 mounted to the rear surface of the body panel 105. The reinforcing plate 101 has a retainer 103 with a first nut 102 mounted to its rear surface and a second nut 104. A part of the retainer 103 is attached to the rear surface of the reinforcing plate 101.
The retainer 103 has a striker positioning portion 106 with the first nut 102 welded thereto, a pair of left and right plastically deformable portions 107, 107 extending from the striker positioning portion 106 toward the second nut 104, and a fixed portion 109 connected between the distal ends of the plastically deformable portions 107, 107 via bridging portions 108, 108. The fixed portion 109 is welded to the reinforcing plate 101 to mount one end of the retainer 103 to the reinforcing plate 101.
The mounting and adjusting operation of a striker 111 is performed as described below. First, the striker 111 is put onto the surface of the body panel 105, and bolts 112, 112 are loosely screwed into the first and second nuts 102, 104 for tentative fastening. Then, the engagement between a latch (not shown) mounted to a door and the striker 111 being checked, the striker 111 is hit with a hammer to deform the plastically deformable portions 107, 107, and thereby to adjust the position of the striker 111. Thereafter the bolts 112, 112 are fully tightened to complete the operation.
The retainer 103 is swingingly displaceable in a direction across the two sides of the body panel 105 with the fixed portion 109 as a swinging base end. When the bolts 112, 112 are screwed into the nuts 102, 104, the screwing forces cause a first end portion of the retainer 103 to move away from the bolts 112, 112 in the direction of arrow X1. To prevent this, it is required to press down the retainer 103 during bolting operation, resulting in reduced workability.
Further, the member for mounting the striker 111 to the body panel 105 requires the reinforcing plate 101, the retainer 103 with the first nut 102, the second nut 104 and the bolts 112, 112, resulting in a large number of components and a complicated structure.
Thus, a vehicle part mounting structure with good workability, a small number of components and a simplified configuration is desired.
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle part mounting structure, which comprises: a panel constituting part of a vehicle body; a retainer mounted to a first side of the panel and having at least one female thread; at least one bolt screwed into the female thread from a second side of the panel; and a part mounted to the second side of the panel via the bolt, the retainer having a first end portion mounted to the first side of the panel by a fitting structure, and a second end portion mounted to a fixing area of the panel by spot welding, the fitting structure including a retainer receiving recess set back from the first side of the panel toward the retainer, a retainer inserting aperture opening from the retainer receiving recess toward the fixing area, and a fitting protrusion formed at the first end portion of the retainer, the fitting protrusion being inserted into the retainer inserting aperture and fitted into the retainer receiving recess.
The fitting protrusion as the first end portion of the retainer is inserted into the retainer inserting aperture and fitted into the retainer receiving recess. The fixed portion as the second end portion of the retainer is put on the first side of the panel and fixed to the fixing area of the panel by spot welding or the like. Movement of the first end portion of the retainer is restricted by the retainer receiving recess. That is, the fitting structure of the fitting protrusion and the retainer receiving recess can prevent the first end portion of the retainer from being displaced in a direction away from the bolt. This eliminates the need for pressing down the retainer during bolting operation, resulting in good workability.
Further, the member for mounting the striker to the panel only requires the single retainer with the female thread and the bolt, resulting in a small number of components and a simplified structure.
Preferably, the retainer has a plastically deformable weak portion between the second end portion and the female thread. The deformable weak portion of the retainer is easily deformed during the adjustment of position of the striker, facilitating the adjusting operation.
In a preferred form, the mounted part comprises a striker.